Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham

Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham (1536-14 December 1624) was Lord High Admiral of England under Queen Elizabeth I of England and James I of England. Howard was most notable for his defeat of the Spanish Armada at Gravelines in 1588.

Biography
Charles Howard was the son of William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, and he served at sea under his father's command as a youth. In 1564, he was called to the bar at Grey's Inn, and he became a General of the Horse in 1569, suppressing a Catholic rebellion in northern England. In 1573, he inherited the Barony of Effingham from his father, and he became Lord High Admiral (like his father) in 1585. In 1588, he commanded the English fleet during the defeat of the Spanish Armada, sinking four Spanish vessels and damaging several more. In 1596, he became Earl of Nottingham, and he raided Cadiz with the Earl of Essex on 20 June 1596. In 1597, he defeated the remnants of the storm-battered 3rd Spanish Armada, and he crushed the Earl of Essex's 1601 rebellion. Howard served as Lord High Steward at the coronation of King James I of England, and he was a member of the delegation that negotiated peace with Spain. He died in 1624 at the age of 88.